Some intelligence services give support to FETÖ: Turkish FM

ANKARA

Some foreign intelligence organizations give support to FETÖ – the group blamed for the July 2016 failed coup attempt in this country, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Sept. 12.

Turkey has cooperation agreements with other countries to fight terrorism, which have spurred some positive steps; however, some foreign governments have not taken a stand FETÖ. Some foreign intelligence agencies have even given support to the group, Çavuşoğlu said in a speech at the district governorship course event.

“When we talk to some of our interlocutors, our interlocutors know very well what activities the PKK receives today in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, France and even the U.K. My interlocutors better tell me how they collect money voluntarily or compulsorily from weddings. But they’re not on the line we want to take,” he said.

Çavuşoğlu noted that recently, Turkey welcomed steps by Germany, Britain and France against the PKK, but those steps stop short of FETÖ. “Unfortunately, we still see that these countries have not taken any concrete steps regarding FETÖ,” he said.

“As the Ministry of Interior and Foreign Affairs, we have to work in close cooperation in the fight against terrorist organizations such as FETÖ and PKK, which pose a threat to our security. Thanks to our cooperation to date, we have brought many terrorists to our country and brought them to justice. We also endeavor to dissolve the terror nests in those places,” he said.

That is why the government has recently appointed 94 Interior Consultants, he noted.

Turkey has so far demanded the extradition of 568 people from 94 countries over their suspected links to FETÖ.

A total of 23 countries have accepted Turkey’s demand, handing over 109 FETÖ suspects. Some 44 countries, on the other hand, rejected Turkish authorities’ demand.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen orchestrated the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.